There has been a lot of discussion in both the media and around the school gates about the increased pressures that youths are facing in their school, family, and social lives. The youth of today are experiencing increasing amounts of stress as their worlds are more demanding than ever before. This is due to the pressures applied from a variety of directions – performing well at school and on the sports pitch, peer influences and friendships, their appearance, bullying, and in some cases the breakdown of the family unit. With all of this extra burden, there has been a huge rise in the amount of youths developing anxiety issues. Anxiety is one of the primary mental health problems affecting young people today, with one in five having a mental health issue, and one in six experiencing anxiety problems at some point in their growing years.

The factors that can contribute to anxiety in youth can be complicated, and there may not be one thing alone causing it; often it is a combination of causes. Some people are born more anxious and nervous than others; their personality and temperament contribute to them being this way. Whereas, for some it can be a learned behaviour as their parent(s) or other influential people in their lives maybe very anxious or stressful people and for others it may be their environment (i.e., hectic schedules involving intensive tuition and sport training or cyber bullying).

Some anxiety is helpful and can motivate us to stay focused and alert. It is our body’s way of preparing us for a challenge, and it is the alarm system that activates when we are in danger- this is called the ‘fight or flight’ response. However, when a young person is too anxious it can have a negative impact on their personal, school, and sporting life.

What does anxiety look like in youths?Most youths at some stage will experience some generalised anxiety, as they may worry about school, performing well, their friendships and family life. However for some it could be a more serious issue and in this case they may: